Saddlebrook Diner, Lodi, New Jersey
When you're in New Jersey, you have to visit a diner or two. Since I was visiting my sister, we had to visit a local diner to satisfy my need for good food and catch up on life.
The menu isn't as large at Saddlebrook as the novels you get at other locations, nor was the bakery case. Sometimes that's a good thing.
I wasn't feeling like my usual diner choices (except for the home fries), and the Greek items that are usually my fallback aren't on their menu, so I opted for a hot open brisket sandwich with green beans and matzoh ball soup. The soup was fantastic, a nice light and fluffy ball of matzoh in a slightly salty chicken broth with ample vegetables.
The brisket underwhelmed. Maybe it was the hour of night, as it was a little tough and flavorless. The green beans came in a tomato puree that if I'd known about it, I would have chosen another side. It's strange, the soup had great seasoning, and everything else didn't.
My sister got a Reuben. Her plan was to have it with onion soup to dip in, but they didn't have any. No onion soup? She wasn't happy, as the alternatives weren't as good to use for a dipping medium-I think she went with a vegetable that was well seasoned, like the matzoh ball soup.
Ahhh, the home fries. After the meal, Ed in jealous envy, asked how everything was. "You got home fries, right?" When I told him that I had to salt them, he knew it wasn't a good sign. No salt, no pepper. They looked perfect, but our opinion was that we got the substitute cook who didn't know it was their job to add seasonings.
Somehow, I doubt that a diner can stay in business for very long with bland food, so we'll chalk it up to that. However, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm reporting on the experience.
My suggestion: get the Matzoh ball soup.
Somehow, I doubt that a diner can stay in business for very long with bland food, so we'll chalk it up to that. However, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm reporting on the experience.
My suggestion: get the Matzoh ball soup.
The menu isn't as large at Saddlebrook as the novels you get at other locations, nor was the bakery case. Sometimes that's a good thing.
I wasn't feeling like my usual diner choices (except for the home fries), and the Greek items that are usually my fallback aren't on their menu, so I opted for a hot open brisket sandwich with green beans and matzoh ball soup. The soup was fantastic, a nice light and fluffy ball of matzoh in a slightly salty chicken broth with ample vegetables.
The brisket underwhelmed. Maybe it was the hour of night, as it was a little tough and flavorless. The green beans came in a tomato puree that if I'd known about it, I would have chosen another side. It's strange, the soup had great seasoning, and everything else didn't.
My sister got a Reuben. Her plan was to have it with onion soup to dip in, but they didn't have any. No onion soup? She wasn't happy, as the alternatives weren't as good to use for a dipping medium-I think she went with a vegetable that was well seasoned, like the matzoh ball soup.
Ahhh, the home fries. After the meal, Ed in jealous envy, asked how everything was. "You got home fries, right?" When I told him that I had to salt them, he knew it wasn't a good sign. No salt, no pepper. They looked perfect, but our opinion was that we got the substitute cook who didn't know it was their job to add seasonings.
Somehow, I doubt that a diner can stay in business for very long with bland food, so we'll chalk it up to that. However, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm reporting on the experience.
My suggestion: get the Matzoh ball soup.
Somehow, I doubt that a diner can stay in business for very long with bland food, so we'll chalk it up to that. However, in the interests of full disclosure, I'm reporting on the experience.
My suggestion: get the Matzoh ball soup.
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